Guru Studio hires Wildbrain alum for sales, VP of development steps down

123 Number Squad!

Canadian animation outfit Guru Studio’s VP of development is stepping down, while the kids’ firm has also bolstered its sales ranks with the hire of a former Wildbrain exec.

Rachel Marcus is to leave her development role but will continue to consult on selected projects, while Dave Padbury has seen his remit expanded to oversee the company’s slate of new original IP.

Jennifer Oppenheimer

Padbury, who has been with the company since 2013, reports into Frank Falcone, Guru’s president and executive creative director.

Guru has also hired Jennifer Oppenheimer as its international sales & licensing manager, with a remit to lead sales of shows such as True And The Rainbow Kingdom, Big Blue and the newly acquired preschool series 123 Number Squad.

She will also lead sales in Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, as well as global AVOD, reporting into senior director of international sales, Corey Caplan.

Prior to joining Guru, Oppenheimer was sales manager at Wildbrain, where she managed content partnerships across Asia Pacific, US digital and global home entertainment. Prior to that, she worked at Boat Rocker Media in their scripted development and production divisions.